Thaindian News

Chennai, Oct 3 (IANS) For New South Wales Blues coach Anthony Stuart, it is not so much about planning for Tuesday’s crunch game against Chennai Super Kings, as executing them besides nursing star player Shane Watson whose bowling has been wrapped in cotton wool keeping in mind Australia’s international commitments in the coming months.

New South Wales, like the Super Kings, need to win the game to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League T20 tournament and to this end, he said picking the right combination would be the key.

When asked about playing specialist spinner Nathan Hauritz in view of the nature of the Chepauk pitch that has favoured slow bowlers, Stuart said it boiled down to executing whatever plans they had on the field.

“It (inclusion of Hauritz) will be discussed. We think we have a balanced bowling attack anyway, regardless of whether we play an extra spinner or an extra seamer. It is about executing one ball at a time under pressure, and whatever we go with, I think the boys will be comfortable doing that,” said Stuart at a pre-match Media conference here Monday.

Stuart put forth a similar argument when queried about replacing wicket-keeper Daniel Smith with top-order batsman Phil Hughes who too has been a stumper.

“(Daniel) Smith is a specialist ‘keeper. He is the only specialist keeper we have got. I have not seen Phil (Hughes) keep, though I know he has kept. I think it would be unwise to leave out a specialist keeper for a part-timer and one who hasn’t kept for about two years in a crunch game like this,” Stuart asserted.

On the nature of the Chepauk pitch that has earned notoriety of sorts for its low bounce and lack of pace, Stuart admitted that the going has been tough for most teams.

“I was here two years ago as part of the New Zealand A set-up and it is certainly a lot different pitch to what it was then. I understand it was re-laid this year. Wickets take time to settle.

“The boys been playing to the best of their ability and I would say it is a good sign for us that we are improving. Regardless of what wicket we get tomorrow night, we have a game-plan and it is up to us how we execute it.

“The scores from the four teams yesterday were a 100, 123, 101 and 111. So, it is tough out there. The wicket probably helped the bowlers, stayed slow and low,” said Stuart.

Regarding Watson, who hasn’t bowled a single delivery in the ongoing tournament, Stuart disclosed that Cricket Australia has instructed that the all-rounder is not to bowl so as to keep him fresh for the tours in the comings months.

“Shane is just coming off the Test series in Sri Lanka. He bowled some good spells down there and probably more in a Test series than he has for quite some time. Shane’s had a history of injuries early in his career and we got a direction from Cricket Australia that they didn’t want him to bowl.

“Straight up after this series, they have the series in South Africa, then they are back in Australia to play New Zealand and then India. He is going to have a big workload this summer. We don’t have any issues with Shane not bowling,” the coach said.